City examines health risks posed by fracking

As the oil and gas industry seeps into the local market, the Lubbock Board of Health is exploring public health risks from hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking.”

Dr. Anne Epstein presented ordinance recommendations based on the board’s research to the Oil and Gas Advisory Committee on Monday, Aug. 26.

“Our recommendations involve reducing the risk to public health,” she said. “We’re not interested in banning fracking, but we are trying to advocate for responsible drilling.”

Public health hazards from oil and gas developments include a depletion of fresh water resources, surface and groundwater contamination, toxic air emissions, noise effects on health and nuisances from truck traffic.

However, the committee agreed that the information presented to support the board’s recommendations is considered controversial.

“On the surface it appears it seems pretty simple,” said Dr. Steve Presley, a Board of Health representative on the Oil and Gas Advisory Committee, “but the more you dig, the more complex the issues become and the phrase ‘it depends’ plays a bigger role.”

The city ordinances recommended by the Board of Health were not unanimously ratified, and two members, including Presley, opposed them.

“I was against this resolution. I don’t think that it was balanced to what I would have liked to have seen come from the Board of Health,” he said.

Before suggesting ordinances to the City Council, the committee is considering the scientific information continuously being provided as well as testimonies from local residents who will be affected by oil and gas development.

“We are looking at a several-month process,” said Zach Brady, committee chairman. “I don’t have a feel on what the committee will do from a regulatory standpoint or a best practices standpoint. We will look at those issues from both sides.”

Water resources:

The drought across the South Plains has helped remind Lubbock residents the amount of water in the Ogallala Aquifer is steadily sinking with each passing year.

The amount of water used for fracking varies depending on the structure; the Barnett Shale uses approximately 2.6 million gallons per well and the Eagle Ford Shale uses between 6 and 6.5 million gallons of water for each well, said Epstein.

“The annual amount of water used in oil and gas drilling is only about 1 percent of the state’s water use, that is true,” she said. “However, in areas of very concentrated water use that number can climb.”

Some members of the Board of Health believe the cumulative amount of water used by oil and gas development companies poses a risk of water depletion in drought-prone areas like Lubbock.

“This drought has really driven the point home that without fresh water we don’t exist here on the High Plains,” said Presley. “My view on it when it comes to fracking is let’s reuse what we can — everything but fresh water.”

The water risk from fracking, however, is minimal compared to that of other industries, the committee found.

Currently, municipalities use the greatest amount of water, followed by agriculture and then oil and gas, according to Kyle Carruth, committee member.

“When you look at the return on investment, and ag is using so many gallons of water every year and your tax base and the benefit from what you’re getting out of it is so much lower than what you are getting out of your oil and gas exploration, I don’t think there is a water issue there,” he said during the committee’s discussion.

To protect the city’s water supply, the Board of Health recommended the committee create ordinances encouraging the use of non-potable water, recycling wastewater for oil and gas use and monitoring water withdrawals.

Groundwater contamination

In some cases, fracking has polluted groundwater, rendering it unusable.

The two primary causes of groundwater contamination are underground migration of gas and chemicals as a result of faulty seals around the wellbore, and spills, leaks or discharges of toxic chemicals from fracking fluids and wastewater coming into contact with the earth and percolating down into the groundwater, Epstein said.

“There has been a lot of publicity about the toxins in fracking fluids, these are chemicals added to the water used for hydraulic fracturing in order to achieve the drilling goals,” she said.

A survey by the U.S. Government Accountability Office found at least 29 different chemicals that were known toxins in oil and gas companies’ fracking fluid, and Texas had the most products using known carcinogens.

The oil and gas industry is exempt from the Safe Drinking Water Act which would regulate the fluid in a different manner, Epstein said.

Oil and gas companies are currently regulated by the Texas Railroad Commission.

“More problematic than what goes into the wells, is what comes out,” Epstein said. “Toxins in the produced water include naturally occurring toxins from deep within the Earth, radioactive material, heavy metals like barium and arsenic, oil, gas, salts also known as brine, hydrogen sulfide and 10 to 50 percent of fracking fluid itself comes back.”

However, naturally occurring radioactive materials are unlikely to be found in this area, said Marshall Watson, committee member.

“I know of no radioactive material or rock in the Northern Permian basin,” he said.

The Board of Health recommends ordinances that require oil and gas companies be required to disclose the composition of fracking fluid before drilling starts, monitor for water and air contamination before, during and after drilling, use only closed-loop drilling and employ a city well inspector.

Some of the suggested requirements, specifically closed-loop drilling, may be not be suitable for wells in this area.

“Its not that it won’t work, but a substantial level of cost is added,” said Watson. “In Lubbock, we don’t really deal with formations and or drilling mud systems that would really require it, for either technical or for safety reasons.”

Air

The risks to air quality are primarily from intentional flaring or venting of gas, engine exhaust from increased truck traffic, emissions from faulty equipment or storage pits, said Epstein.

A new Environmental Protection Agency performance standard will require companies to capture natural gas rather than venting it, reducing the emission of air toxins that can cause serious health problems including cancer.

This process can help save companies an estimated $11 million to $19 million by reselling the captured gasses, Epstein said.

The Board of Health recommends Lubbock adopt the new policy before it becomes effective in 2015.

Noise

The noise from oil and gas development can pose health concerns.

According to a study by W. Passchier-Vermeer and W. F. Passchier from TNO Prevention and Health in The Netherlands, found that 70 decibels or the volume of a vacuum cleaner can raise blood pressure in adults and impair cognition in children, 60 decibels can raise blood pressure in children and 55 decibels can cause sleep disturbances.

From 200 feet away, the sound of an oil well is 70 decibels and 65 decibels from 1,000 feet away, said Epstein.

However, Watson said he didn’t believe the sound nuisance would be a serious health issue because it is only a concern during the drilling of a well.

“As far as drilling is concerned, it depends on how deep the well is,” he said. “For Wolfcamp (shale play), which is about 7,000 to 9,000 feet, they can drill that in a week to ten days. Around Midland they are drilling about 13,000 feet in about 10 to 14 days at the most, but I think they are drilling faster than that.”

To protect the public from health issues caused by the sound of drilling, the Board of Health recommends setting wells back 1,500 feet from residences, schools and workplaces, as well as using multi-well pad drilling, but some committee members felt the regulations are unrealistic.

“I think the set-back is too harsh,” said Watson. “You need to look at it case by case.”

Traffic

An increased number of accidents because of heavy traffic near well sites is the only potential health risk the committee almost completely agreed about.

Data from the Marcellus Shale in New York showed a total of 3,950 vehicle trips per well, and it was most concentrated over the first 50 days following well development.

“The only thing she had a valid point on was the nuisance from truck traffic, and that’s only going to be there for a short period of time and then they are gone,” Watson said.

rs.douglas@lubbockonline.com

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Board of Health recommendations

■ Minimize the use of fresh water

■ Recycle water waste

■ Monitor water withdrawals

■ Disclose composition of fracking fluid before drilling starts

■ Monitor for water and air contamination before, during, and after drilling

■ Use only closed-loop drilling

■ Employ a city well inspector

■ Take additional safety precautions against leaks, spills and blowouts